City Hall gains new police scrutiny powers

Boris Johnson and Deputy Kit Malthouse now have greater control over the Met. Photo: MayorWatchLondon’s new police oversight body, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC), starts work today.

The Metropolitan Police Authority has been replaced by MOPC which will provide the Met with its strategic goals and scrutinise the force and Commissioner.

In turn MOPC will be scrutinised by a new London Assembly Police and Crime Panel which holds its first meeting on January 26th at City Hall.

The new arrangements apply only to the Metropolitan Police, the City of London force and British Transport Police continue to have their own governance arrangements.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson promised he would “now be keeping an even closer eye on every aspect of policing, ensuring more than ever that the crimes that most concern Londoners are addressed.”

At the 2008 Mayoral elections Mayor Johnson promised to chair the now disbanded MPA. He later stepped down, appointing London Assembly Member Kit Malthouse as his replacement.

Mr Malthouse, who will lead the MOPC as Deputy Mayor for Policing, promised he would “continue to push for long term crime prevention in youth violence, street robbery, drugs, burglary and gangs.”

Johnson’s rivals in this year’s Mayoral elections have set out how they would lead the new body if elected in May.

Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick, a former Scotland Yard Deputy Assistant Commissioner, said: “I know the Metropolitan Police from top to bottom, from inside and out.

“Not only do I promise to get the police to do exactly what you want them to do where you live, I know how to get them to do exactly that and to do it fairly.

“Imagine living in a city where every Londoner, no matter what your background or where you come from, can honestly say ‘the police really are on our side now.’ That is how I will transform policing in London as your Mayor.

“I will get the police and Londoners standing together and the criminals won’t stand a chance.””

The Green Party’s Jenny Jones promised she would “invite cross party representation and tough critics to join me on a panel to ensure the Met performs transparently well for London. I hope any Mayor would do the same.”

Jones also expressed concern that the arrangements risked London having “less democracy and less scrutiny of a complex difficult organisation”.

Labour’s Ken Livingstone, who claims police officer numbers are falling, said Londoners would “want to see the Mayor to use the new responsibilities to put more police officers on the streets to make our streets safer rather than cutting them.”

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